Tiny Stars

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

All children feel happy, safe and secure in this nursery. This is because of a well-established key-person system that helps children form secure attachments with staff. This promotes children's well-being early on as they settle at this nursery. Children engage well in their play and learning. The curriculum has been planned with ambitious endpoints in mind. There is a strong focus on promoting children's language skills. This means that children who speak English as an additional language (EAL) and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good developmental progress.

The nursery has built excellent relationships with parents and is deeply rooted in its community. The nursery is a hub of support for its local community and goes above and beyond, not only for the children, but for their parents and wider family too. Staff promote children's independence and give them several opportunities to make choices and develop skills. For example, children pour their own drinks and use tongs to serve their chosen food at lunchtime. Staff are positive role models, prompting children to say 'thank you' and 'please' where appropriate. Children respond well to this modelled language.

Staff have clear behavioural expectations of the children, and as a result, children behave exceptionally well. Children share and take turns with their friends. The youngest children can sit and listen carefully to stories. For example, children sit quietly, watching staff as they share creative stories and make them interactive, which enables children to listen, smell, touch and see, in turn.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Staff focus on communication and language across all ages. Children who speak EAL are supported well. Staff know children's home languages and support children who speak EAL effectively. Staff help children to develop good language skills in their home language and in English.
• Children behave extremely well. Staff support them in sharing and turn-taking. Staff support the youngest children effectively to regulate their emotions. This helps children to understand how their behaviour can impact on others.
• Children's independence is well supported as they wash their own hands, assist with tidying up and put on their own coats to prepare for outdoor play. Children enjoy being active in their play, including climbing the ladder, playing on the swing and riding bikes. This helps to develop their larger muscle groups.
• Staff promote positive behaviour by praising and encouraging children to use polite expressions such as 'please' and 'thank you'. Children who are familiar with the nursery routines and expectations respond well to this approach.
• Staff are passionate and committed to their work. Staff design various engaging activities and experiences that are thoughtfully planned to benefit most children. While activities are exciting, staff are not always consistent in identifying the sequence of skills children need to understand before introducing a new one.
• Partnerships with parents are positive. Parents are extremely complimentary about the care their children receive. Parents are kept well informed about what their children are learning and how they can support them at home. For example, parents comment positively about the support they have been given in aspects such as toileting and early speech development. They describe the setting as an exceptional nursery and an extension of their own family.
• Staff promote children's mathematical skills well. Children learn mathematical concepts and language as they play. For instance, staff model language of the size, number and colour of balls as children scoop balls with a ladle onto a baking tray. Children develop confidence and proficiency in their early understanding of numbers and mathematical concepts.
• Children with SEND are identified swiftly. Leaders ensure that referrals are made to appropriate agencies to support children. Staff use advice given by outside agencies to create and implement individual learning plans. This helps to ensure that all children are making progress.
• Staff plan enriching experiences for the children to extend their learning, including visiting the local barbers and pizza restaurant and going on environment walks. Staff use these opportunities to teach children about road safety. Children have many opportunities to learn about the world around them. Special celebrations, such as Eid, Christmas and other festivals, are carefully considered to help children learn about other cultures. This prepares children well for life in modern Britain.
• Staff say that they feel well supported in their roles. They have benefited from observations and peer coaching. Staff appreciate the support they receive from leaders and the opportunities that they have been given to continue to develop professionally. Staff have been able to continually improve their knowledge, skills and confidence as a consequence of this effective support.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure activities are well sequenced to build on what children already know and what they need to learn next.